Jessie Jojola didn't have any difficulty in finding a job when he returned from a 13-month tour of duty during the Korean War. The 81-year-old Abilene man said he feels the pain of younger veterans coming home only to find out they can't find jobs, or they can't afford to pay for a place to live.

"It's the economy," he said as he waited for his appointment at theTaylor County Veterans Service Office. "That's it, and probably politics."

Many who are involved in veterans' organizations say military and veterans' families face special and unique circumstances in a downturn economy and challenges can go beyond problems at home or readjusting to civilian life.

Jojola said he has heard from other veterans that some are burdened by the fact that jobs they held at the beginning of their deployment aren't waiting for them after their service is done. While federal law mandates employers give returning soldiers a similar or comparable job to the position they held before their tour, sometimes employers are forced to make changes.

Officials at the veterans services office also said returning soldiers, many of whom have acquired technical expertise and experience while in the military, find themselves having to go back to square-one and recertify their trade under the civilian standards.

Many also return to the U.S. with post-traumatic stress disorder, injuries and other disabilities, which often aggravate their situation and their chances for a smooth transition to civilian life.

JOBLESS VETERANS

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, veterans unemployment dropped to 6.3 percent in October, but that still means that nearly 690,000 veterans in the nation are jobless.

The unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans were up last month, 10 percent from 9.7 percent in September, and still sits well above the national rate of 7.9 percent.

In one instance, advocates for the wind industry said veterans hold a high percentage of the 75,000 jobs supported by the industry and those jobs will be at risk if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit to expire the end of the year.

"The major challenge our veterans are facing is trying to reintegrate back into society," said Jimmy DeFoor, veterans' services officer for Taylor County. "They're facing problems like (difficulty in) finding jobs, which is a major issue, because if you can't find a job, often times that leads to homelessness."

DeFoor said there is a "multitude of issues," to take into consideration when it comes to veterans. Some, upon their return, face poverty and homelessness as well.

"Many of them are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and that's something they need to overcome," DeFoor said. "A lot of them also have traumatic brain injury. We try to get them in this office as soon as we can to start getting them enrolled in VA health care so they can start getting treatment for any disabilities they may have coming out of the war.

It is very important we get to them as soon as possible so they can start getting treatment; so they can start getting counseling."

Another benefit DeFoor and his office try to get for area veterans, especially those just returning home, is getting them eligible for the new GI Bill, which "pays for their college and gives them a living stipend each month of around $1,100 (to) $1,200 each month."

"We try to get them to school, but of course they still have to find a part-time job or something because that (stipend) is not much to live on," DeFoor pointed out.

One factor that may have contributed to such a high number of jobless veterans is that many U.S. companies, and sometimes veterans themselves, do not know how to translate military experience into civilian job skills. There is a disconnect between companies demanding a college degree and veterans giving confusing descriptions of their military experience to civilian employers.

Also, veterans' skills are often highly specialized, and it is sometimes difficult for them to determine how to translate those skills to those that employers are seeking in a civilian workplace environment.

"For instance, a combat medic who served in war zones with a lot of knowledge in trauma care, but when he gets out (of the military), he's not able to use that training and that expertise," DeFoor said. "He has to go back and start at the very basic: going through schools and getting certifications."

On the other side of that coin, private employers should give more credit to the experience and skills veterans acquired in the military, DeFoor said, adding, "(employers also) need to look at the hard skills these veterans have and convert their training and experience so they don't have to go back to square-one."

He said federal legislators have been working to get that changed, and other agencies are taking part in finding a solution to bridge that disconnect.

WORKING WITHIN THE SYSTEM

"We also have a lot of people within the state who are working to have that changed," DeFoor said. "There's got to be someway to bridge that gap."

One example is the Federal Aviation Administration, which now allows outgoing military personnel to pre-certify before they discharge from the service.

As a veteran himself, Denton understands what these men and women are going through, and he finds ways through the system to get them the help they need.

"Our main focus to help them translate their skills to the civilian world," Denton said, adding they also assist veterans from resume writing to job interview skills.

HOPEFUL

If not for health problems, Jojola said he still could have been working. He jokingly said he thought about being a greeter at Walmart, but is afraid the store will put him in the graveyard shift.

Besides the economy, Jojola said the government should be taking care of the veterans better.

"They (soldiers) go out there and risk their lives for the country and then they come back home and live like paupers," Jojola said. "The government needs to take care of the veterans like they're supposed to."

Jojola said his generation is one of the lucky ones because the economy when he came back from Korea was thriving, and there were plenty of jobs. He said he hopes the economy would turn around for the better.

"I don't know when that will be, but I'm praying it'll be soon," he said.

Jessie Cardonesa has been trying to land a job ever since he got back from the Army earlier this year. His savings have long run dry, and his patience drawing thin.

"I've probably applied for almost every job there is, but so far, no callbacks yet," Cardonesa said. "I am still hopeful, but I need to provide for my family, and my situation right now is not allowing that to happen."

READY FOR HOMECOMING

"Each veteran who walks in here is a little bit different," DeFoor said. "They have different needs and our job is to identify those needs and then work to find the solution for them."

The goal always has been making sure there is a smooth transition for veterans when it comes to going back to their civilian lives.

"It's our job to find that help for them and a lot of time it may not be VA benefits. It might be something else," DeFoor said. "I've encountered (veterans) who are disabled to the point the VA center helps them apply for Social Security benefits. We have to be aware of all the different resources that are out there and be able to refer these veterans to those they need the most."

Although a lot have been done in recent years when it comes to properly welcoming veterans home, there still are gaps in the care.

And more service members are expected to come home soon.

Texas has the largest number of active-duty military personnel — 131,548 — of any state, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data.

"With the military facing this drawdown (the pullout in Afghanistan by the end of 2014), you know we're talking about 85,000 troops and Texas owns a full 18 percent of that," DeFoor said. "Do the math: We're going to have a lot of veterans coming back to the state of Texas and we have to be ready to support them."